Traction apparatus



l Seph- 11, 1928.

W. E. CURTIS TRACTION APPRAI'US- 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. ll, i928.

W. E. CURTIS TRACTION APPARATUS 4 Sheets-#Sheet I 3 Filed June 19, 1 922Sept. 11, 1928.

W. E. CURTIS TRACTION APPARATUS Filed June 19. 1922 4 Shts-Sheet 4Patented Sept. 11, 1928*.

naiven STA WILL EsPY CURTIS, or EvANsi-ioiv, iLLiNors. l

l'rmiccrrc 1\r APPARATUS.

Appiieatin filed June 19,

This invention relates breadly to traction devices, and moreparticularly pertainsto an improved portable traction operated `hoist'ing' device, especially adapted for employ-v ment iiregzti'actiiigr treestumps, posts, and for other similar purposes. Y Y

Y' llfhile this invention is illustrated and described as a stumpextractoiufit ivill'be understood that I do not limit the invention tothis adaptation, but that thedevice tindsa large field of utility ferother purposes.

This invention is desipgned, among .other things to appear later, asanother development ot the invention illustrated, described and claimed`n my ,co-pending application, Seri-al Number 557,531, and thereforethis device has some features, and advantages, in common with thedevicey of the application mentioned. Y y.

i The principal objects. and advantages Which characterize thisinvention arel eX- pressed in the provision of improved means forimparting` motion; the provision etimproved portable means forimpartn're` motion; the provision orn improved means for hoist- .ing andsimilar purposes;

improved means or extracting,` various `objects imbedded in the ground,such as tree stumps and the; like; the provision of 1mprcved-1portablehoisting;` apparatus char-acterized by the presenceoie an improved meansfor anchoring same; the provision of im` proved means 'tor hoistingcharacterized by theprovision ot a portable source of power andassociated hoisting mechanism; .the provision ,et an ini-provedarrangement of portable vsource ofpovver, propelling' and hoistingmeans,and means for'anchoringl the source ot power; and the yprovision of atraction operated portablehoisting ldevice embodying the foregoing;advantages and features and such-other advantages and Viteatures as mayhereinafter appear which is simple in con? struction andefticientinoperation.

'lhe foregoing and such other objects and advantages as may appear or be.pointediout as this .description proceeds are attained in thestructural embodiment illustrated in the accompanyinr'rv drawings, inwhich:

Figure 1 aside elevational view ot a device involvinp; the improvementsof this iiivention;

Figure 2 is a top planvieiv of the same Figures 3 and 4. are enlargedlongitudinal vertical sectional views taken on the lines 3-3 and -lrespectively oi"` Figure 2,.lool

the provision ot 1922, serial no. 569,479.

ing` in the direction 'indicated bythe arrows.V

Referring novi7 more particularly to 'the drawings, and hrst moreespecially to Figuresli and 2, `there is provided `a trame -or chassis Acomposed of j the spaced side .I-, -f beams '5 `and 16, iixedlyconnected near one end by ya i'platlorm .platev 7, they latter beingYstrengthenedV by an anglefbargS. 'The VI# beams f5 ,andj are secured tothe plate 7 and angle-'bar 8 by a series of rivets 9 9 or the.

like. The 'plate '7 terminates at approximately the medial ,portionofthe chassis and thereby leaves a space 10 Vtoward one end f0.1'accommodation ot certain parts toy be later described.y

. One end of termed the :rear end tor convenience, is provided With anVaxle 11, said axlehaving reduced end portions 12 yand l'projectingtransversely'beyond the side I-/beams .and rothe chassis, which'. maybetatably supportingthe hubs 14; and 15 of traction Wheels 16 and 17,respectively. The :axle 1 1 is tixedlyl mounted in vbearing,r brackets18-1'8 secured, 4by rivets`19 or the like, ,toV

the `-topsurfaces of the I-beams 5 and 6. The traction Wheels 16 and 117,are here shotvnas of the disk type., and are provided with peripheralprojections 20,-20 orimpinging en-` 'gagement with the earthinftliefvvell-lznown `vmanner.. Each Wheel is provided, on its in-Aternal face, with a ge`ar,ysaid gears being designated f2.1 vand 22,respectively.

-rThe lorwardend of tliechassis, that is, the

portion .carrying the .platform 7, lislsup'ported von Va.steeringelemenh ysuch as a Wheel 23, revolubly mounted in a fork member24, the latter having a .trimmen-25 extending vthrough a suitablebea-rin;T 26,V carried by the platiorin Afbe'velpinionQT isiixedlyinounted upon the upper `endlofthe tiunnion,25,and a second bevelpinion 28 4meshes with said pinion 27 the pinion28 being' iXedly mountedon the lower .end .ofi an inclined steering post 29, mounted in abearing; 30 mounted upon vthe platform ,7, A steering Wheel 31 issecuredto the upperr end .ofthe shat or post 2,9.

This :invention yincludes the propelling Vand hoistingmechanisms,together with means ior anchoring the .chassis against movement, thismeans embodyinga ground engaging element,

suoli as the angularly adjustable trame B., and

rvthe traction Wheels 16 andy 117 and side fI- yand the bearings 18.

beams 5 and-6., The traine B is angularly adjustable about the aine llas a center, and

to this end the rear ends ci the bars 32 and 33 are provided withbearing brackets 34 and 35 respectively, said bearing brackets beingreceivable upon the reduced ends l2 and 130i the axle, between the Wheelhubs and the bearings or axle supports 18-1-3; rrihus the bearings 34and 35 serve to space the Wheels troni the chassis by abutinentivith theWheel hubs rlhe toi-ward ends olf i the bars 32 and 83 terminato beyondthat end 'ot the chassis, and are connected by a transverse spade orshoe 35, fastening brackets 37487serving to secure the shoe tothe bars.The shoe is provided 'with a toothed lower edge' 38 to tacilitat'eengagement with the earth. The anchoring device isvangularly manipulatedby imparting rotation to a traneverse shaft 39 mounted invbearings l0 onthe plat-lforin?, the endsoi said` shatt'having sheavesfl-l-lfl securedthereto, to which sheaves are secured cables 4l2-1l2, ivhich latter. are.also iixedly secured toronefeach of the side bars 32 and `33. A leveri3 is :tre-ely oscillatabiy mounted on the shaft 39, anda vawl 4.4carried b i the said lever serves to 7 y engage a ratchet Wheel l5fixed' on the shaft 39. The lever is, of course,"liinited againstmovement in one direction beyond a predetermined point, such as thevertical location I of the lever asshovvn in Figure l. in abut- 'inentle on one ot the bearings Li0 serves this purpose. A second paWl Il@engages the ratchet Wheel l5 for latching saine.

` liteferring now to the propelling and ho1sting mecha; sms, l 'providea prune mover.

'sue-has an 'internal combustion engine 48,

inountedupon .the platform .7, the crank shai't i9 of said engine beingdisposed transversely to the loi'igitudinalaxis ot the device. ion isiXedly carried on one end oit the j crank shaft i9 and in'eshes directlyWith a re-V Whee in a bearing 53on said platform.

duction gear 51,' which latter is iXedly mount-I ed on the inner end ota stub shaft 52, mounted @it course, it will be readily uuderstoodithatthe direct connection of the pinion V50 and gear 5l inay be substituted`for or suppleinentedby a conw'antionall speed change gearing, suchspeed change gearing forming in detailno part oi 4this invention, andtherefore being omitted from the drawing. l

On the shaft 52 there is also iixedly mountn .ed a sprocket Wheel 54T,about which a power A pinat dir'terent rates of irections by theprovision g shattV 60, revelubly lnounted tol 'he traction elements i ld i to the l-beaius 5 and 6, said shaft oetiveen the traction Wheels and:ons (S5 on the ends, Which nlaceinent. et said shaft by abut- ,i 'i Y.y nient l eoeaiings and 62. A sprocket wheel 67 is tuediy mounted uponthe shaft 69 e a sprocl-:et chain @dis trained over d s et Wheel, andover a coinpleinental,

but sniailer 5i', through speed change gears 71-72 and a speed c gear 73and lion 74:, respectively. The gears 7l and 73 areiixedly se-V an( .(32in the brackets G3 and sprocket wheelf, liXedly carried by the speedchange gear shalt 70, Which lat- 'tei receives its motion trom theclutchshaftV h `with the drive 2l and 22.

inoua 'ed on said clutch shattnear the sproclr-V Y l o. 'lh'e pinions Tland 'T6 are each provided with clutch faces Y? and 78, respectiveiy,'and a Vclutch bloei; 2"9 is disposed bel pinions and slidablykeyed for rosaid yshaft 5?, A lever 80 is ina'- 1 A 1 n. putas-sd theetoAso that, upon whichV pinion is enireely rotatably inounted coaxiallyupon the axle li, between the side traine nieinbers 5 and 6, said druinsbeing each providedv with spiral grooves 83 and Se. lBetween the drun'isl 8l, and 82, and -linedly secured. to eachft-here is provided arelatively large gear 85, said gear being in meshing engagement with apinion Sti, ixedly secured to the transverse hoisting drinn drive vshaft87', the lat-ter being revolubly mounted in bearing `ineinbers 538-88secured to the 'under surfacesA ot' the beains 5 and 6. Near one end oitthe shaft 87 there is fixedly secured a sprocket Wheel 89, over which istrained a sprocket chain 90, said chain in turn being trained over arelatively'sinallersprocket Wheel 91 tiXedly securedto the shaft 92,said shaft 92 being termed the Winding drinn reduction shait. The shai't92 is inounted in bearings 93--93 formed the bearing bre ets 53 a i'Sil, and as shown in the Figure l., thissL 92 is posed in a plane sligl.l# above clutch shaft 57, but belowlhe plane oi, shaft 70.

The shatt- 92 'eceives notion vin one direcA i tion and at a given speedfrom the clutch ends tie speed and dlrectionof t v f oisting mechanismWhichV I provide shaft, by `the'"provision of aspr'oclretr whce1| 95onsaid shaft 92, sprocket chain '96, and sprocket wheelA 97 freelyrotatable yonthe shaft 57, the Vsprocket chain being trained over saidsprocket wheel. kvMotion is. limpai'ted to "the shaft `92 in anotherdirection, and` at Ythe saine speed as that of the clutch shaft 57, .bythe provision of intern-iesliing gears 98 and 99," the gear Y98 being`fixedly f similarV clutch face 101,', and Ybetw en, l5y

.direction of the arrow R in lFigure 4.

secured to the shaft-92, and the gear 99 be# ing frcclyrotatable on theclutchshaft. The sprocket wheel 97isA provided with a clutchv face 100,and the gea=r99 is -p-i'o-vider'l with :i and adaptcfl for Aengagementwith either of said clutch faces, `there is provided al slidable clutchblock 102, operable by a 'lever-103 vand slidable on said shaft 57. -5

A. iexible motion transinittingelementv provided, such asoiexible cable10d, said cable havingl its ends secured to one each of drums 83 vand84, respectively, as best ob-L served in Figure 2, in order to form aloop 1.05. The two parallel, or substantiallypaialici, portions of thecable extend on either side of the steering wheel fork 24, and the loop105 receives a sheave 106. mounted in a bracket element 107, the latterbein provided with an object engaging hook 108.. ln operation, themachine described is pro pel'ed to a suitable point of vantage bystartthe clutch ino' the engine 48 and moving block 79 intoengagementwith the clutch 57 rotating in the with lli; gageinent of theclutch 79 as explained propels the device in the forward direction,

face 7 S, the clutch shaft e 1. rihe device is steered to a desired posiion by manipulation of the steering wheelL 31 Bj.' moving the clutch 79into either or Oi.. its eneiging or lio 'device is now dropped byreleasing` t oawl ifi-1 and the spade 36' engages and forced into theearth by the movement of the machine. Thereupon the clutch 7 9 is left ieiitia'l position.

ie machine new being in the desired position, the cable 104, is paid outby engaging the clutch 102 with the clutch'face 101.` on' 99, whichcauses 'the drums SBand the gear Sil to rotate counter-clockwise asviewed vin Figures' 3 and Li. The hook 108 is new lashed or otherwiseproperly attachedto the object to be moved, or is attached to suchobject through a` purchase-increasing element, such conventional blockanc taclde ar rangement. The anchoring device being lowered and theblade 36 .engaging the earth, the clutch element 109J is now moved to engage the sprocket clutch face 100.. This imparts rotative motion to thedrums 83 and 84 or toward the right hand end as viewed in lFig-`vdriving positions, the opei''v ator is enabled to-inaneuver theapparatus Y til the desired relationship tnereoi to the.

to be hoisted is attained. f lhe :incl-ionr "in a-clockwisedirection asviewed in Figures 3'aiid 4,/this causing the cable 10=tobe Vwound uponboth drums. The tension thus set up causes the anchor to becomeeinbedded,thusA preventing movement of the machine toward the-object.Asl-practically all :the weight is 'on the traction wheels, and as .theplane of puller tension yis directed below the axle 11, tilting -orupsetting ofthe apparatus is rendered impossible. Furthermore. the widespade en'iployed in theanchor,.and the fact that fthe direction ofmovenieinent iis in :a

)lane siibstantiallv coincidental with' that :or

the"loiifitudinal axis .ofthe machine irevents sidewise displacement ofthe apparatus in hoisting.'

Vheii'the work to be .accomplished is coinp'le'te'd,'ft`lie cable isdisconnected from the ob` i 'fmoveih andthe machine'is backed away,

l which, together with manipulation of the anchor hoisting lever 43,raises the anchor to inoperative position. Bachin'gof the ma- 'llhe'sameratio, in effect, is true of the pro` polling, arrangement afforded bythe provision of the gears 71, 72, 7G, 74 and 77, vso

that in the forward motion the vehicle .is

propelled faster than when in the reversed motion, for a 'given speed ofthe clutch shaft 57. rThus, where it is desired to employ boththevtraction wheels and the' drums in moving an object, the utmost poweris obtainable. ly extending the cable from the other end of the machinethan that shown, the device may be employed for towing, and for othersimilar purposes.

Having'thus described my invention and A illustrated its use, what claimas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a device of thecharacter described,

in combination, a chassis, supporting traction wheels for said chassis,a` source of power on said chassis,an aide for said wheels, a revolubleshaft for driving saidwheels, a hoisting drum concentric with said axle,a revoluble shaft for driving said drum, al gear train for driving saidfirst mentioned revoluble shaft, a companion gear train for driving theother of, said revoluble shafts, a. counter-shaft,

driven. by the source -of power and common' to said other shafts, andclutch members mounted upon said counter-shaft for alter nately orsimultaneously engaging said gea trains for driving said shafts.

2. In a device of the character described,

inl combination, a chassis, supportingtrecion wheels for seid chassis, esource of PoweA on seid chassis, en axle or said wheels, i

revolnble shaft for driving` seid wheels, a. `lioistinq drum concentricwith seid aide, e Arevoluble shaft for driving seid drum, :L gearsplined upon Aseid connter-sliaft and adapted to engage either theforward or the reverse gear oit the two gear trains respectively.

In e device of the character described, in con'ihination, e` chassis,supporting traction wheels for seid chassis, a source of power on saidchassis, an axle for said wheels, a revoluble shaft for driving saidwheels, e hoisting .drnm concentric with said axle, a revolulole "shaitfor driving said drum, a gear train for driving said first mentionedrevoluble shaft, e companion gear train for driving` the other or said.revoluble shafts, at counter-shaft` driven hy the source of power, eachof said gezutra-ins having forward and reverse driving` gears loosely.mounted upon said countershai't, and two clutch elementsv spline'd.upon said counter-shaft and, adapted to engage either the forward orthe reverse gear-Aoi the two geur trains respectively, endseperateopera-ting elements for snidclntch members, whereby said traction wheels:ind hoisting drinn may be driven alternately or simultzin neously andin either direction zit will.

In testimony whereof IV have vhereunto siO-nedjmy name.

t* wnzn new cnnfiis

